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Old 11-27-2006, 01:40 AM   #15 (permalink)
DQueens
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Join Date: Nov 2006
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hey there,
first of all the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you consume. it is great that you are active, and your activity level is a good range for someone who wants to maintain good cardiovascular health and other benefits from exercise.

The first thing you need to do is find out how many calories you burn a day. this can be done by finding a calorie counting site... try using google, search for something like "calories burned per day". They will ask you for your weight, age, sex, and activity level.

Now, being in a calorie deficit of 3500 calories results in the loss of 1lb of fat. This means that to lose 1 lb every week (which is a good weight loss rate, and ensures you are not losing too much muscle mass, and that the weight will not come back on, and keeps you from starving yourself) you need to eat 500 calories less per day.

I suggest keeping a calorie journal of everything you eat (even the little nibbles) for one week. Write down things about your energy levels, how hungry you felt that day etc. it also helps to keep track of emotional triggers, and you can see where you may be lacking in fruits nad veggies or whole grains and may be eating too many thing that are not great for you such as saturated fat or refined sugars... if you like going online a great free food diary is fitday.com

Now, after you find out how much you have been eating cut that caloric intake by 500 calories a day. If you are honest with your counting, you will lose weight! This may seem like a real burden and something that is hard to get used to, but you'll find it wont take up too much time in your day, and i find that it is the only way to successfully lsoe weight and keep it off.

hope that helps!
Ps: i wouldnt go vegan unless you research it properly. it is hard to get enough protein and B vitamins on a vegan diet especially if you dont like trying new and unusual foods such as different variations of tofu, beans and soy. soemthing to think about...
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